WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Nuclear Security Administration announced that it has awarded $4 million in grants to 22 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and six Department of Energy sites in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas.
The funding launches NNSA’s new Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program, a consortium program organized to build a sustainable STEM pipeline between DOE plants and laboratories and HBCUs
The MSIPP is designed to enrich the STEM capabilities of HBCUs in a sustainable manner that aligns with the broad interests of DOE sites and emphasizes the entire career pipeline.
The partnership also provides STEM students with the cutting edge resources and technology housed at DOE facilities, ultimately increasing STEM student retention.
“Hands-on participation in research is imperative for students in the STEM field,” said Dimitri Kusnezov, NNSA’s chief scientist. “The MSIPP will provide an opportunity for students to be exposed to state-of-the-art facilities and research, creating an opportunity to expand their knowledge and further prepare them for a career in STEM fields.”
To achieve MSIPP’s goal, teams consisting of participants from select HBCUs and DOE plants and laboratories were developed.
These teams bring together HBCUs that share similar interests in STEM research areas with the facilities and technology available at DOE’s plants and laboratories.
Funding was given to eight teams comprised of 22 HBCUs and six plants and laboratories – NNSA’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Kansas City Plant, Y-12 National Security Complex and DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.